authors - Ilaria Verunelli

Career

Alda continued to write poems, devoting herself to it at the age of 15. Giacinto Spagnoletti discovered her poetic talent and invited her into his circle of poets and critics which kicked off her career. She was published in Spagnoletti’s anthology in 1950. She then published her first book, La presenza di Orfeo, in 1953. In 1961 she stopped writing due to mental illness. She was committed to an asylum. She centered much of her poetry about her time in mental institutions dealing with her mental illness as well as the dramatic experiences in the institutions. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize twice and she was awarded the Librex-Guggenheim Eugenio Montale Prize as well as the Premio Viareggio.

Quotes:

“ We are hungry for tenderness,
in a world where everything abounds
we are poor of this feeling
which is like a caress
for our heart
we need these small gestures
that make us feel good
Tenderness
is a disinterested and generous love,
that does not ask anything else
to be understood and appreciated.”

“Il dolore non è altro che la sorpresa di non conoscerci.”

“When I raise a toast to madness, I toast myself as well.”
She made significant contributions to Italian poetry and many of her works have been translated and admired in other countries as well. She passed in 2009 from cancer. Her works and words still continue to flourish and inspire many.

Dante Alighieri

Dante Alighieri is hailed as one of the most important Italian authors of all times and has been a major influence in Western culture. His epic poem, La commedia or Divine Comedy is still read and studied today. He is also known for leading the movement to break free of the old standards of publishing works in Latin and instead publishing them in the vernacular language.

His Beginnings

He was born in 1265 in Florence, Italy to a notable family with modest wealth. At twelve years old he was betrothed to Gemma di Manetto Donati but was in love with another girl, Beatrice Portinari, who he would continue to write about including love poems in La Vita Nuova.

Education

Dante studied many subjects that included painting, poetry, and music. He took an apprenticeship with Brunetto Latini, a celebrated poet and prose writer, who helped to expand his knowledge of literature and rhetoric. In addition, he also was mentored by Guido Cavalcanti, Lapo Gianni and Cino da Pistoia who became the leaders of the style Dolce Stil Novo – personal and political passions were the themes behind the poetry. In 1287 he enrolled in University but enlisted in the Florentine Army in 1289.

Works

In 1302, Dante was exiled from Florence since he was a prominent voice for an opposing political party that lost during the Guelph-Ghibelline conflict. This time would be the start of his most productive and artistic period of writing.

Divine Comedy – this describes Dante’s journey through inferno (hell), purgatorio (purgatory), and paradiso (paradise). This work would become the cornerstone in establishing Italian as an established literary language since most literary works were produced in Latin. It is for this that he is said to be one of the forerunners of the renaissance. It has been praised and critiqued by many scholars.
Convivo (The Banquet) – this is an encyclopedia (it is 4 books in total) of knowledge on philosophy, politics, linguistics, science, and history.
Monarchia – This is a treatise of political philosophy on secular and religious power. This work was banned by the Catholic Church.
La Vita Nuova (The New Life) – this story is about his love for Beatrice Portinari. He uses a sweet new style in his poetry that relates the feeling of love with spiritual revelation.

Dante Alighieri has had a huge influence on many other writers and is considered one the greatest writers to have ever lived. T.S. Elliot once wrote, “ Dante and Shakespeare divide the world between them. There is no third.”

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Italian Author Profile: Alda Merini